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Beyond handouts in farmer empowerment
Workers offload bales of maize seeds for planting in Elburgon town, Nakuru County on March 18, 2025.
Any serious farmer would not wait for the government to provide seeds—serious farmers prepare early. Governments distributing seeds often reflects a populist approach rather than a genuine strategy for sustainable agricultural development.
Politicians may use such programmes to gain public favour, but they often lack long-term impact. These handouts can create dependency among farmers, discourage traditional seed-saving practices and disrupt local seed markets.
However, there are instances where government seed distribution is both necessary and beneficial—such as when introducing new crop varieties or species, or in the aftermath of a drought to help restore production and support recovery. In addition, farmers are encouraged to adopt crop and livestock insurance as a safeguard.
A more sustainable and empowering approach involves training farmers in good agricultural practices and modern technologies, which can significantly improve production. Additionally, the formation and support of seed bulking organisations and conservation of indigenous seeds are critical to ensuring seed security and long-term resilience.
Furthermore, governments have a key role in providing a conducive environment for agrovets and input suppliers to invest and thrive. By creating policies and infrastructure that support these businesses, governments can foster a more robust agricultural supply chain, ensuring that farmers have reliable access to high-quality seeds, fertilisers and tools.
The Kitui County government, for example, is supporting the formation of farmer producer organisations and over 40 farmers’ cooperatives across the county. These promote aggregation, value addition and collective bargaining, giving farmers better access to markets and fairer prices.
Such community-based, farmer-led systems represent a lasting solution—one that builds strength from within rather than relying on politically driven, short-term interventions.
Let us collectively change the mindset of our farmers.
Dr Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, Agriculture and Livestock County Executive Committee Member, Kitui County
